Airmen from the U.S. Air Force 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron -- with the help of 36th Munitions Squadron Airmen -- dropped the final ...
Airmen from the U.S. Air Force 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron -- with the help of 36th Munitions Squadron Airmen -- dropped the final M117 air-dropped general purpose bomb with the Pacific Air Force's inventory on June 26 in an uninhabited island off the coast of Guam.
The 750 pound M117 bomb, which dates back to the mid-1950s and first used during the Vietnam War was dropped from a B-52 (Stratofortress) bomber aircraft deployed to Andersen Air Force Base.
The M117 can be employed in two different configurations: one which uses a special fin assembly providing either high-drag or low-drag release options; and the other configurations looks similar to the M117R, but uses a magnetic influence fuse, which enables the bomb to function as a mine.
Both the B-52 and M117 were developed and added to the Air Force's inventory in the 1950s and used together extensively during Operation Arc Light from 1965-1973 as part of the Vietnam War.
The missions supporting Operation Arc Light launched from Andersen AFB; U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand; and Kadena Air Base, Japan. In addition, B-52 aircrew dropped M117s during Operation Linebacker II from Dec. 18-29, 1972, and Operation Desert Storm from Jan. 16-Feb. 28, 1991.
